Actress tells libel hearing of two years of abuse by ‘monster’ Depp

Actress tells libel hearing of two years of abuse by ‘monster’ Depp

Happier times: Johnny Depp and Amber Heard at the European premiere of their film ‘The Rum Diary’ in London in 2011. Photo: AP/Joel Ryan, File

JOHNNY DEPP was a monster who repeatedly beat Amber Heard in a series of drug-fuelled attacks before and during their marriage, new court documents claim.

The US actress alleges Depp (55) left her fearing for her life after he choked her and ripped out chunks of her hair in more than a dozen violent altercations. The details emerged yesterday as Heard (32) asked a judge to dismiss a €46m defamation lawsuit filed by Depp over an article she wrote in ‘The Washington Post’ in December claiming to be a victim of domestic violence.

In the motion filed in a court in Virginia, Heard describes in extraordinary detail how Depp repeatedly slapped and abused her before and during their two-year marriage. Photographs showing Heard with facial bruises and scars on her arms and newly released screenshots of text messages describing the incidents were produced as exhibits.

The couple married in February 2015 and divorced in January 2017.

Depp has denied any abuse.

Heard said he began abusing drugs and alcohol a year into their relationship after they began dating in 2012. It led to him becoming a “totally different person”.

“We called that version of Johnny ‘the monster’,” the documents state. In 2014, she claimed a drunken Depp kicked her in the back and threw his boot at her on a private jet as they flew from Boston to Los Angeles after he became upset over a romantic scene she had filmed with actor James Franco. He screamed obscenities at her until he passed out, she said.

A month into their marriage, Heard alleged Depp abused her as he embarked on a three-day ecstasy binge in Australia.

Heard said during an argument over his drug-taking, Depp slapped her and shoved her to the ground. The next day, she claimed she found Depp still drinking and taking ecstasy pills.

Heard claimed her ex-husband choked her, spat in her face, threw unopened glass bottles at her and pushed her into a table. He tore off her nightgown leaving her “naked, barefoot, covered in alcohol and glass”.

Heard said she filed for a restraining order after he allegedly attacked her again in 2016, grabbing her phone. “He threw the phone in my face as hard as he could,” she states in the document. She said their neighbour heard her screams and threw herself in between them, begging Depp to stop.

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Heard said she punched Depp for “the only time” when she feared he would push her younger sister Whitney down the stairs.

Eric George, Heard’s lawyer, said: “Since their divorce, he has continued to publicly harass Ms Heard and attempted to gaslight the world by denying his abuse. It is long past time for Mr Depp’s despicable conduct to end.”

Adam Waldman, Depp’s lawyer, said the documents were being reviewed.

The lawsuit alleges Depp suffered financial losses, including losing his starring role in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ film franchise, because of the newspaper article.